"The Last Airbender" Movie Review -- Will This Save M. Night Shyamalan's Career?

Wednesday, June 30, 2010, 02:42 PMPosted by Manny

M. Night Shyamalan, the writer-producer-director of “The Last Airbender,” made a huge Hollywood splash in 1999 with the unforgettable “The Sixth Sense.” But since then, I’ve been wondering if the multi-hyphenate peaked too soon.

The quality of his films has been spiraling downwards culminating with his back-to-back head-scratching flicks “Lady in the Water” and “The Happening.” With “The Last Airbender,” I seriously doubt he will regain the auteur status he so deservingly received with the success of “The Sixth Sense.” Read More...

Kidding aside, it's my first Emmy under my Manny the Movie Guy banner so this one is near and dear to me! So thank you all for your support, I truly mean that. Emmy Pacific Southwest today, National Daytime Emmy tomorrow, we all can dream, you know!

More "Captain America" casting news, Martin Scorsese's 3-D "Hugo Cabret" moves forward (Jude Law and Christopher Lee join the cast!), and Miley Cyrus is "LOL" with a new "Twilight" co-star. Plus, why the heck did "Grown Ups" made tons of money? I scoured the interwebz for you, so you don't have to!

*** Alice Eve ("She's Out of My League," "Sex and the City 2") is in talks to play Emma Frost in "X-Men: First Class" to be directed by Matthew Vaughn. Oh, and since we're in the superhero topic, Tommy Lee Jones will play the role of Colonel Phillips in "Captain America: The First Avenger." DEADLINE HOLLYWOOD DAILY

*** Jones is not the only actor to join "Captain America," Dominic Cooper from last year's "An Education" will also join the Marvel superhero flick. He'll play Howard Stark aka Iron Man's daddy! COLLIDER

*** Martin Scorsese's first 3-D movie has gone through a title change, more like a title drop. The book is called "The Invention of Hugo Cabret," now, the film will be known as just "Hugo Cabret." We heard that Jude Law, Christopher Lee, Ray Winstone, and Richard Griffiths will be joining Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron Cohen and Chloë Moretz. The cast is now complete. COLLIDER

*** Miley Cyrus gets a "Twilight" actress to join her and Demi Moore in "LOL." Ashley Greene, who plays Alice Cullen (she's one of my faves in the film) will join Cyrus and Moore in the English-language remake of the 2008 French comedy. The original director, Lisa Azuelos, is going to helm the remake. Ashley Hinshaw and George Finn will also laugh out loud with the cast. THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

*** Once upon a time, in 1947 to be exact, there was a film called "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" starring Danny Kaye. Well it's getting a Hollywood Re-makeover treatment with "Pirates of the Caribbean" director, Gore Verbinski, attached. Also, once upon a time, Mike Myers and Sacha Baron Cohen were both in talks to play the lead character -- a timid comic book writer who wants to be a hero. COMING SOON

*** Critics hated it (yes, including me), but "Grown Ups" defied gravity by opening with $41 million box-office take. Why oh why? I will attempt to analyze this for you, but I'll let the Los Angeles Times do the talking. Here's one interesting point though -- more women saw the movie than men! About 52% compared to 48%. Wow, Adam Sandler is great with the ladies! THE LOS ANGELES TIMES

*** Yikes! From here on out, "Final Destination 5" will be called "5NAL DESTINATION." No, there's nothing wrong with your eyes, it's Warner and New Line trying to be clever. But please, can this be the last one, please? BLOODY DISGUSTING